Does enclosure size affect behaviour?

Windchaser

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Has anyone studied if the size of a tarantula's enclosure affects behaviour?

Part of the reason I ask is that I have a G. rosea (yes, I know they suffer from Mutiple Personality Disorder), that when it was in a larger enclosure was more docile. Now, it is in a smaller enclosure (2.5 gallon tank) it throws threat displays at the drop of a hat. That started me wondering if enclosure size is a factor in a T's behaviour.

What are some of the opinions out there?
 

galeogirl

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I think most animals are less aggressive in larger enclosures since they're less likely to feel threatened if they have a place to run and hide.
 

shogun804

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it might treat the smaller enclosure like a burrow or hide defending it and such. were as when its in a bigger tank its kind of like being out in the open and more likely to run and hide.
 

Dark Raptor

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I think that more important for T's, than the size of tank, is the place to hide. My P. regalis, C. cyaneopubescens and T. blondi were more docile when they had their nest. I saw this even among Brachypelma (smithi and albopilosum), but generally they are very calm in almost all situations.
Without hideout, even in large container, spiders are much more agressive.
This is my observation - I think very basic ;)
 

Windchaser

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pinktoes804 said:
it might treat the smaller enclosure like a burrow or hide defending it and such. were as when its in a bigger tank its kind of like being out in the open and more likely to run and hide.
This is sort of what I was thinking. There is a hide in my G. rosea's tank, but she never use it. I do plan on getting her into a bigger tank, but she ended up in the smaller enclosure since it was what I had on hand. Plus, once she dropped the egg sac, I couldn't move her. Now, that the egg sac is hatched I was planning on moving her.

I just noticed the change in her behaviour and wondered if the tank size was a factor.
 

Mattyb

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I think it does. I moved my big T.Blondi from a 29 gal. to a 10 gal. and now she is really pissy.


-Mattyb
 

taorchard1987

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hmm thats got me thinkin. This maybe because she is in such a confined space, as to when she was in her bigger vivarium with plenty of hiding places to retreat to.
 

Sandra

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Great article, Crotalus, thanks for posting it.
 

BlkCat

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Mattyb said:
I think it does. I moved my big T.Blondi from a 29 gal. to a 10 gal. and now she is really pissy.


-Mattyb
I would be pissy to if u took my mansion away and gave me a HUD home... :}
 
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